Community Superstar

By Haddenham Webteam - 12th September 2013 11:30am

Karen Ayris defines what community spirit is all about and residents of Haddenham think she's blooming wonderful.

As the owner of 'Blooming Fruity' the greengrocers on Banks Parade, Karen goes out of her way to support the community in every way she can. This ranges from helping publicise all the local events and fundraising activities for schools, clubs and societies in the village to providing nutritious fresh fruit each morning for the children of Haddenham Community Primary School. And, when time permits, she also delivers fresh produce and other shopping to elderly folk who are unable to get out and about. According to Karen, "some elderly folk can be quite isolated despite the various social and community support activities in Haddenham, and they really appreciate my stopping by to deliver their fruit and veg, and having a quick chat, when I am able to leave the shop for a short while."

Karen's shop is also a popular "box office" for local events, and many clubs, societies, schools and churches in Haddenham rely on Blooming Fruity as one of their primary purveyors of tickets. Why does she take on all this extra work? "I feel that local shops are the heart of the community, and they serve a very important social function as well as a commercial one — I am pleased to be a part of that," says Karen.

On Thursday (September 12th) Karen was thanked by Chris Young, a committee member from the Haddenham Beer Festival, for being their most prolific seller of tickets for the Summerfest Beer Festival. The Beer Festival is a major charity fundraising activity in Haddenham, and takes place on two occasions each year — a summer festival in July and a Winterfest in December. Karen Ayris and 'Blooming Fruity' sold more than 50 per cent of all the tickets purchased for this year's event, and on Thursday she was presented with a well-deserved bottle of bubbly and a sincere thank you for being such a local community star.

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